A Survey of Trout Conservationist's Perspectives

Keywords: Trout conservation, fish genetics, fishery management, angler values
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

Hayden Strait, David Havlick, Christine Biermann

Abstract

Advancements in genetic testing have led to additional considerations in fish management, including genetic purity. Reclassified by new molecular findings, fish may now be held to account for genealogies that go well beyond recent histories of dispersal, in situ reproduction, or watershed boundaries. We examine if angler perspectives on native, wild, and genetically pure trout have coincided with changes in fishery management in response to changes in methods of determining fish genetics. This research is part of a National Science Foundation-supported project examining how increasing scientific understanding of fish genetics intersects with angler preferences and agency management policies. To understand angler priorities, online surveys were distributed to Trout Unlimited chapters of Colorado and Montana. Montana was included to compare angler perspectives in a state whose trout fisheries haven’t been stocked in close to 50 years, but still supports a thriving fishing industry. Management priorities have shifted towards valuing genetic conservation and while many respondents claim to want to catch native species, they often are unable to list what native species are and/or perceive introduced, wild populations as native. We seek to better understand if there is a divergence between angler values and fishery management, and if so, what implications may follow.